Fresh Faces Key For Soccer, Volleyball

Head soccer coach Marci Jobson will have a young squad in her first year at the helm, as 13 newcomers join five returning starters this fall from the team that stumbled down the stretch last season and finished with a record of 7-10-2.

Sophomore midfielder Lotto Smith is the team's leading returning scorer after finishing third on the team last season with five goals. The Bears will have a new face in goal for the first time in five years, as Ashley Noah, the Baylor and Big 12 career saves leader, wrapped up her eligibility last fall. 

In her previous stop as head coach at Northern Illinois, Jobson's team improved from a 5-11-2 record to 10-5-5 in just three seasons. She also played with the U.S. Women's National Team from 2005-07, helping lead the U.S. to a third-place finish in the 2007 Women's World Cup.

Meanwhile, the 2008 Baylor volleyball squad will offer a nice mix of experience and new talent this fall, with three returning all-Big 12 candidates joined by seven newcomers, including a pair of top-100 talents.

Fifth-year head coach Jim Barnes will depend on juniors Taylor Barnes, Anna Breyfogle and Katie Sanders to lead the way for the Bears. Breyfogle led the Big 12 in blocks per game last fall, while Barnes has recorded more service aces over the past two seasons than any other player in the conference. 

Redshirt freshman Krista Brenner, the No. 52 high school player in the nation in 2007, transferred to Baylor from Tennessee in April. She'll be joined by freshman Briana Tolbert, the country's No. 62 recruit in 2008, who will compete for a spot at middle blocker.